Dragling bucket for rock



April 25, 1967 w. D. PATCH DRAGLINE BUCKET FOR ROCK 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed March 25, 1963 INVENTOR. WILLIAM D. PATCH April 25, 1967 w. D. PATCH 3,315,382

. DRAGLINE BUCKET FOR ROCK Filed March 25, 1965 2 SheetsSheet 2 WILLIAM D. PATCH United States Patent DRAGLINE BUCKET FOR ROCK William D. Patch, Welch, Okla. 74369 Filed Mar. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 267,567 1 Claim. (Cl. 37-135) This invention relates to dragline buckets for transporting rocks and coal, and more particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a bucket designed to improve the carrying capacity .of such buckets.

In the prior art a bucket has been available as defined by Patent No. 2,338,831 to H. A. Whitcomb and J. W. Patch, titled, Drag-Line Bucket, issued January 11, 1944, which had open sides to allow large chunks of elongated rock or coal to be received in the bucket with protruding end portions of the rock extending out each side .of the bucket. I have found that a still greater load can be carried by partially enclosing the sides of such a bucket, whereby not only the frame of the bucket is C-shaped, but also the side walls of the bucket are of C-shape for providing an ideal balance between the advantages of a closed-sided bucket for carrying smaller lumps of coal or rock and the advantage of the open-sided bucket, whereby my bucket, like an open-sided bucket is adapted to carry large chunks of coal with great portions protruding outwardly from the bucket through openings in the side walls of my bucket.

A further object is to provide a bucket as described, the forward end of which has a larger opening through the use of an arched yoke having a concave lower side, the yoke bracing the side Walls and improving capacity in combination with the special side wall shapes of my invention.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide means in a material handling bucket whereby the bucket carries about twice as much material as a conventional bucket so that a contractor may use a smaller less expensive machine for stripping coal and removing rock.

And a still further object is to provide a dragline bucket having increased capacity and greater strength in which the bucket is of simple and economical construction.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description drawings, and claim, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings themselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a method by which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claim.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the bucket showing the C-shaped side walls connected by a semicircular yoke.

FIGURE 2 is a view showing a bucket.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the bucket.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view illustrating the cables and chains for supporting and operating the bucket.

While one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the above-referred-to drawings, it is to be understood that they are merely for the purpose of illustration and that various changes in construction may be resorted to in the course of manufacture in order that the invention may be utilized to the best advantage according to circumstances which may arise, without in any manner departing from the spirit and intention of the device, which is to be limited only in accordance with the appended claims. And while there is stated the primary field of utility of the invention it remains obvious that it may front elevation of the 3,315,382 Patented Apr. 25, 1967 be employed in any other capacity wherein it may be found applicable.

In the accompanying drawings, and in the following specification, the same reference characters are used to designate the same parts and elements throughout, and in which the numeral 10 refers to the invention in its entirety, numerals 12 and 14 indicating the C-shaped side walls having upper arms 16 and lower arms 18, numeral 20 indicating an arched yoke concave on its lower side connecting extended ends of the upper arms 16, and numeral 22 indicating a web connecting lower and rear edges of the side walls, and having a flat lower section or bottom wall 24 with teeth 26 on its leading edge, and an arcuate rear section 28 extended from the trailing edge 30 of the section 24 upwardly to a point 32.

The upper surface of the yoke 20 is provided with spaced ears 34 and 36 through which a pin 38 extends, and, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, a tilt-line or til-tcable 40 is connected to and extends from the pin. The outer surfaces of the side walls 12 and 14 are provided with eyes 42 and 44 from which chains 46 and 48 extend, and the lower ends of the sides of the yoke and upper arms 16 are provided with chains 50 and 52 that are connected to the sides of the bucket and yoke by rings 54 and hooks 56.

It will be seen that the yoke 20 provides a means extending from side to side of the bucket and having a concave undersurface spaced upwardly from the bottom 24 for a minimum of interference with the flow of materials into the forward side of the bucket, sides of the yoke 20 being connected to portions of the respective side walls 12 and 14 of the bucket, whereby the tilt-line 40 can be connected to the yoke 20 intermediate its ends and preferably at its transverse center for controlling the tilt of the bucket.

Each of the elements is hollow having side walls connected at the edges by plates or webs, so that the weight of the bucket is reduced.

With the openings in the side Walls positioned to receive protrusions of large rocks, or lumps of coal, the capacity of the bucket is substantially doubled, whereby a bucket designed to hold three cubic yards will carry six yards.

The rear walls of each of the openings 60 in the side walls each terminate a substantial distance from the forward side of the rearward wall for substantial material retention. The lower arms 18 of the side walls each extend forwardly approximately to the respective forwardmost portion of the bottom wall 24 for substantially retaining material from falling off the sides of the bottom wall.

Operation The bucket is drawn forwardly by the chains 50 and 52 and as it is pulled into material the teeth 26 scoop up comparatively large lumps of coal, or rocks, and with the openings 60 .in the side walls, and 62 at the front, protrusions on the lumps of coal and rocks project through the openings making it possible to pick up a greater quantity of material with each load.

With the walls of the bucket having large openings therein the bucket is suitable for use with a drag-line, whereas without the openings it is only suitable for use with a shovel or back hoe.

The upper and lower walls of the openings 60 are substantially spaced for permitting portions of large chunks of coal and rock to project therethrough while carried by the bucket, as is a feature herewith made available for the first time in a bucket having substantial closed side wall areas for holding a sizable load of smaller rocks to provide a bucket capable of a larger total load of combined small and large rock or coal portions, and a bucket of versatility having a good capacity for small lumps of coal, and yet also having the advantage of permitting protrusion therefrom of portions of large pieces of coal or rock when the latter are being loaded.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a dragline bucket for rock constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and ope-rated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

What is claimed is:

In a bucket for draglines, the combination which comprises a back wall, bottom means attached to said back wall and having forwardmost portions for engaging material, spaced vertically disposed C-shaped side walls, said side walls each having an upper and a lower arm with a recess therebetween, said recesses being open at the forward sides of said respective side walls, said lower arms being attached to sides of said bottom means, the rear walls of said recesses each terminating a substantial distance from the forward side of the rearward wall of the bucket for substantial material retention, the said lower arms .of said side walls extending forwardly approximately to the forwardmost portions of said bottom wall for substantially retaining material from falling off the sides of said bottom wall, the upper and lower walls of said recesses being substantially spaced for permitting portions of large chunks of coal to protrude outwardly from said sides while carried by said bucket, yoke means extending from side to side of said bucket and extending from one of said side walls to the other and having a concave surface on its underside and spaced upwardly from said bottom means for causing said yoke to have a minimum inte-rfence with material entering the forward side of said bucket, and said yoke means further having two sides each attached to forward portions of a respective side wall of said bucket, whereby an upwardly extending tilt-line can be attached to an intermediate portion of said yoke means for controlling tilt of said bucket. I

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,129,955 9/1938 Olson 37135 X 2,338,831 1/1944 Whitcornb 37-135 2,886,905 5/1959 Bayles 37135 2,895,239 7/1959 Larsen 37-135 FOREIGN PATENTS 326,766 1903 France. 550,158 12/1942 Great Britain.

ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner. B. HERSH, WILLIAM A. SMITH, III, Examiners. W. B. STONE, G. T. MOLLER, Assistant Examiners. 

